"Master Mizuki! What are you doing? Ume needs you!" Ai yelled.
"No. No, she can't need me," Mizuki said, "She hates me."
"Didn't you see what hit you, you idiot!" AI yelled, "It was the Lucky Mallet! She's using your fears against you."
Mizuki wanted to believe it and he knew it was true, but he couldn't make himself move. Even if his mind believed it, his body was weighted with all his former helplessness.
"Snap! Out! Of! It!" Ai yelled. Mizuki slowly turned his head to her but cried out in shock when she dumped a bucket of seawater on his head.
"What was that for?" he cried, sitting up.
"I'm trying to wash your brain out with saltwater!" Ai yelled, "You are an infuriatingly weak excuse for a lover and a familiar. Lady Nanami would be disappointed and Lady Ume is counting on you. You should've seen her face. She was scared. She thinks you're second guessing your feelings for her."
"But I'm not! I love Ume!" he yelled. It slowly sunk in again. Right. He loved Ume, so why was he sitting here? He jumped up and got back on his flying snake. It was different, the way this hopelessness had felt. It was fake. He didn't even really feel it. The artificial emotions from Suzuka's spell were fading the more he thought about how fake the emotions were.
"Thank you, Ai!" he called, leaving the beach behind and going in the direction Suzuka went.
She couldn't have gone far. Mizuki took to the sky on his snake. At his high speed, he caught up to Suzuka quickly.
"Let her go!" Mizuki yelled. When Suzuka turned her attention to him, he blinded her with waves of water. As she sputtered, she dropped Ume, which Mizuki was counting on. He ducked low to catch her and pulled her into his arms as she fell. Then he ducked down low toward the water.
"Trust me?" he asked.
"I hate you!" Ume said. He clung to her tightly, knowing the words were false, even if they stung.
He suddenly ducked below the water, using his own power to create a globe of water around them to trap air inside and push the seawater out. He kept going deeper, holding Ume tightly to him even though it seemed like she was struggling.
"Where are we going, idiot?" Ume muttered.
"I'm going to ask a favor of Kamehime, the Dragon Lord's wife," Mizuki said.
"Why not the Dragon Lord? Or are you not as good with gods and kings as you think you are," Ume said.
"I'm asking Kamehime because he's afraid of her."
Ume laughed. Mizuki felt sick hearing such a mocking laugh come from his Lady and love's lips.
He noticed one of the turtle's heading toward Ryugu Castle and followed alongside it. When the castle was in view, Mizuki quickly dismounted his snake and dragged a struggling Ume by the hand. He went to the throne room and immediately saw Kamehime and Ryuo, the Dragon Lord. Mizuki noticed that Ryuo was wearing the haori Kamehime had made for him.
"Mizuki, what brings you here? Is Nanami with you?" Kamehime asked.
"She's probably babysitting the fox," Ryuo muttered. Kamehime whacked his head and then smiled at Mizuki.
"Don't mind him. He's been in a mood."
"I'm here because I wanted to know if there was a way to undo a spell cast by the Lucky Mallet?" Mizuki asked.
"Only the Lucky Mallet can undo a spell it cast," Ryuo said, "How did you come to fall out of the gods' good graces?"
"I didn't. Suzuka stole the Lucky Mallet from Lord Ookuninushi," Mizuki said.
"Why is she after you?" Kamehime asked, shooting a death glare at her husband.
"She wants to use my Lady Ume's body and god mark to restore her position."
Mizuki pulled Ume forward. Ume glared but then her face softened for the first time Mizuki had seen since the spell. She walked up to Ryuo and studied him.
"What do you want?" Ryuo asked.
"Are you two having a disagreement?" Ume asked, looking between Ryuo and Kamehime.
"Of course not!" Ryuo said.
"He can't go one week without wanting to start a fight with someone," Kamehime said.
"But I haven't fought anyone that I couldn't defeat!" Ryuo said.
"It doesn't matter. After your fight with the fox, you promised you wouldn't get another scar on your face."
"I haven't."
"Yet."
Ryuo threw his hands up in the air before leaning on the arm of his throne away from his wife.
"Aren't you happy?" Ume asked Ryuo.
"Why?" Ryuo muttered.
"Your wife loves you enough that seeing you hurt yourself is heartbreaking. She loves you enough to beg you to take care of yourself, even when you refuse. She hasn't given up. You should be happy to have someone that loves you so deeply."
Ryuo glanced at his wife before looking at the ground. The guilt forming behind his visible eye was showing.
"Lord Ryuo is a warrior at heart and he's having trouble seeing things from your point of view," Ume said to Kamehime, "It doesn't mean he doesn't love or respect you. It just means he's grown used to a way of being and it will take a lot of effort to change. Lord Ryuo, are you willing to make that effort?"
"Yes, I am. I'm sorry, my love," Ryuo said, reaching and holding his wife's hand.
"I love you and I want you to come home to me safely. I think about the fox and the way he damaged himself and risked his life and I couldn't imagine you doing anything of the sort to yourself. Again."
Kamehime cupped her husbands right cheek, running her thumb along the edge of his eyepatch.
"I won't worry you anymore," Ryuo said.
Kamehime kissed his cheek, which made him blush as he remembered their company. He sat up straight and steeled his expression, although his cheeks were still pink.
"You are certainly the God of Hearth and Home," Kamehime said, smiling.
"Wait, she is?" Ryuo asked. Ume pointed to her god mark.
"I see," Ryuo said, "Well, I can't undo whatever spell was cast with the Lucky Mallet. However, with my wife's permission, I can help you to retrieve the Lucky Mallet from Suzuka."
Kamehime nodded, "But if you come back with another scar."
"I won't," Ryuo said, kissing Kamehime's cheek. Kamehime smiled and a happy blush covered her cheeks.
Mizuki had been watching in awe as his love worked her magic. Seeing her doing her job as the God of Hearth and Home was beautiful and it made his heart warm.
"Thank you," Mizuki said, snapping out of his affectionate trance and bowing.
"I'll watch over your god," Kamehime said.
Mizuki nodded and Ume stood beside Kamehime, but glared at Mizuki. Mizuki sighed weakly before following the Dragon Lord to another room. An armory.
"Where is Suzuka?" Ryuo asked, unrolling a map.
"I left her near the beach that's south of here," Mizuki said.
"She hasn't followed you down?" Ryuo asked.
"Not that I can tell," Mizuki said, "I may have blocked her vision so she couldn't see where I went."
"Good. We can attempt to ambush her," Ryuo said, "If we steal the Lucky Mallet from her, we can weaken her power and, if we're lucky, attempt to imprison her on one of the sea caves."
"Is that possible?" Mizuki asked.
"Yes. With the Lucky Mallet, we could weaken her and then trap her in the cave and keep her power separate," Ryuo said, "I could hold her power down here in the castle where she couldn't reach."
"Alright," Mizuki said, "What about the ambush though?"
"My army will be more than enough to distract her," Ryuo laughed, "I captured Tomoe, didn't I?"
Mizuki laughed softly.
"What about you? You seem like quite a timid yokai," Ryuo said.
Mizuki crossed his arms and sighed, "I hate violence," then he smiled brightly, "But I wouldn't mind if Suzuka bled out on a beach."
Ryuo blinked a few times, "You're almost more intimidating than Tomoe in a way."
"Let's get to work," Mizuki said, "I want Ume's feelings to be returned to her."
"Alright," Ryuo said. He led Mizuki out to the front of his castle and they were met by Ryuo's army. Mizuki was about to question it but decided not to.
"Attack Suzuka like you intend to kill. Steal the Lucky Mallet if you can, but don't make it obvious or she'll begin defending it," Ryuo said.
"Yes, sir!" the loud chorus made Mizuki cover his ears. The sea creature army went ahead and Ryuo hopped on the back of a sea turtle. Mizuki got on the back of his snake.
"Are you sure you're ready for a death battle, snake?" Ryuo asked. He pursed his lips when he noticed Mizuki's eyes had changed to their narrow, threatening, snake like glare.
"Make no mistake, I'm venomous and aiming to kill," Mizuki said.